Rural mailbox signal



R. E. cox ET AL 2,905,378

RURAL MAILBOX SIGNAL Filed May 2, 1957 Figf/ /4 Sept. 22, 1959 Russell E. Cox

Char/es P. Low/y INVENTORS.

RURAL MAILBOX SIGNAL Russell E. Cox and Charles P. Lowry, Alliance, Ohio Application May 2, 1957, Serial No. 656,616

1 Claim. (Cl. 23235) The present invention relates to a rural mailbox, the function of which is aided by the provision thereon of what may be called an auxiliary signalling flag, that is, a flag which is indicative of incoming mail conditions and is therefore designed to minimize useless trips to the mailbox, especially in inclement weather.

It is a matter of common knowledge that a conventional rural free delivery mailbox is provided with an outgoing mail signalling flag which is generally and perhaps properly referred to as a red flag. Many and varying conditions attend outgoing and incoming mail situations. Having thus posed a problem in which the needs of the mailman and mutual needs and expectations of residents are involved, several proposed solutions have been attempted by those who have been attempting to improve the mutual needs of all concerned. Since such prior art adaptations do not appear to have met with widespread adoption and use, it is the obvious objective here to provide a simple, practical and economical incoming mail signal flag which is such in construction and operation that it may be properly endorsed and used with effectiveness much to the delight of those who have repeatedly and perhaps daily made trips to the mailbox only to find it empty.

More specifically, the concept has to do with that which may be described as an extra or auxiliary signal flag and which may be painted or colored yellow, so as to distinguish it from the regular red flag. It is provided with a staif or arm, the lower end of which is hingedly mounted on a bracket provided on the bottom of the regulation box just inwardly of the hinge point of the outwardly and downwardly swinging door. A simple bracket is provided on the marginal portion of the door and a link is hingedly connected at one end to the bracket. The opposite end of the link has pin and slot connection with the lower end of the staff of the flag in proper relation to the hinge connection of the staff with the box, all as will be set forth in the following description.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a conventional rural mailbox (the regular red flag being omitted) equipped with the auxiliary incoming mail signalling flag, the box being closed and the flag being down;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view also in side elevation with the box open and the flag up;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation similar to Fig. 2 wherein the door or box is closed and the flag remains up; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary front end elevation of the left side of the box which is taken on the plane of the vertical line 4-4 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the drawings the conventional rural mailbox is nited States Patent OS" R 2,905,378 Patented Sept. 22, 1959 denoted generally by the numeral 6 and we are concerned here with the usual marginally flanged, outwardly and downwardly swinging door 8 which normally closes the front end of the box, the rim or flange being hingedly mounted at its lower end portion, as at 1t The flange is denoted at 12 and engages a suitable latch 14 which serves to keep the door closed. In actual practice, a red flag (not shown) is provided on the side of the box not shown in the drawings. On the side 16, the auxiliary incoming mail signalling flag is shown and mounted, and this is denoted by the numeral 18. The flag proper is at the upper end and denoted at 20 and the staff or arm at 22. By preference, the lower end portion of the arm is comparatively wide, as at 24, and the extreme lower edge is straight across as at 26. This lower end portion has one corner 28 hingedly connected or pivoted as at 30 to an upstanding ear 32 forming a part of an adaptor bracket 34. The base of the bracket is riveted or fastened at 36 to the bottom of the box and has an outstanding lip or narrow flange 38 forming a ledge on which the edge 26 rests when the flag is up. The other corner portion 40 is provided with a pivot pin 42, as shown for example in Figs. 2 and 3. This pivot pin serves to accommodate the overlapping slotted end 44 of a flat, linearly straight connecting link 46. The opposite end of the link overlaps an ear or lug 48 on a suitable bracket 50 fixed to the front side of the door 8. The overlapping end is hingedly connected at 52 to the car 48. The pivot point 52 when the flag is down (Fig. l) is in a plane well above the pivot points 30 and 42.

As will perhaps be evident, where there is no out going mail in the box to be picked up by the mailman, the red flag (not shown) is of course not raised up by the resident owner. Also, the red flag is, as is customarily done, laid down after delivery by the mailman, the outgoing mail having been picked up by the mail man. Naturally, the yellow flag 1% herein under consideration does not go up unless the door of the box is opened. Thus, if no outgoing mail or incoming mail are involved, the box will not be opened. Consequently, the yellow flag 18 remains down, indicating no incoming mail in the box. On the other hand, if outgoing mail is picked up and there is no incoming mail, the mailman can put the yellow flag down, which of course came up automatically upon opening the box, at the same time putting the red flag down, indicating that the mailman has gone, that the mail has been picked up, but that there is no incoming mail in the box. If incoming mail is, however, placed in the box, the mailman leaves the yellow flag up, indicating rnaii in the box (he puts the red flag down if there was also outgoing mail, but is not concerned therewith if the red flag was already down and no outgoing mail problem was involved).

Although it may not be of moment, patentably speaking, the flag which is herein disclosed is capable of being used to replace the customary red flag. That is to say, a suitable bracket 34 for the opposite side of the mailbox can be appropriated, using the flag 18, of course, but omitting the lid bracket 485il and the link 46.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A rural mailbox signal comprising a bracket adapted to be positioned against and secured underneath the bottom of a conventional-type rural mailbox and having an 3 edge portion adapted to project in a horizontal plane parallel to the plane of the bottom of the mailbox and to extend outwardly beyond the vertical plane of a side wall and providing a ledge, said ledge-being provided at a rear end thereof With'an upstanding ear, asignal flag having a relatively wide flat staif, the principal, portion of the lower end of said stafi being substantially straight and, when the flag is up, resting :firmly atop said ledge, said straight lower end being approximately commensurate in length with the :length of the ledge, one corner portion of the lower end portion of said staif overlapping and being pivotally connected by a hinge pin on said ear, an outstanding hinge pin carried by the other corner of said lower end portion, a single flat rigid link having a slotted rear end portion superimposed upon the exterior surface of the stat: and hingedly "and slidingly connected with said outstanding hinge pin, and link attaching means adapted to be fixed to a door of said mailbox, the forward end :portion of said link being hingedly connected with said attaching means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,149,781 Palmer Aug. 10, 1915 1,350,515 Payne Aug. 24, 1920 1,380,164 Stafford -May 31, '1921 1,530,150 Allan Mar, '17, 1925 2,639,856 Thomas May 26, 1953 2,698,712 Kreitiow Jan. 4, 1955 2.797,860 Foster July 2, 1957 

